The Harvard name screams excellence. Last year this team of
overachievers surpassed even its own expectations with a
mind-boggling record of 55-1 in regular-season competition. The
Crimson won the Ivy League crown for the second time in school
history and advanced to NCAA regionals.

The Harvard team, however, is smart enough to know that last
year's success, while incredible, isn't the ticket to national
prominence. To be the best, teams have to play the best. Thus,
Harvard finished last season ranked 89th.

Harvard has gone to regionals the last two years - in the middle
of final exams - and finished 19th. Or, as senior Sarah Harvey puts
it, "got schooled."

Harvard kids don't typically get "schooled" at anything. But
coach Kevin Rhoads doesn't recruit players who think golf first,
school second. Harvard has had only one player (Leslie Greis '80)
turn professional in the program's history. Actually, Greis was a
three-year letterwinner on the men's team. The women's golf program
started in 1993.

Sheldon and Harvey, two seniors in Harvard's lineup this week,
have talked to several players they've met on the fairways at Primm
Valley who plan to join the Duramed Futures Tour next spring. It's
unusual for them to run across aspiring pros in the Ivy League.
With the job market this dismal, Sheldon agrees now is the time to
turn pro.

Not for her, of course.

Tuition and room and board at Harvard this academic year is a
cool $48,868. These two seniors hope to parlay their superior
education into a superior job. But they aspire to leave an even
bigger mark on the Harvard program before they go.

"We want to show that we can run with most of the teams (in this
field)," Sheldon said.

Golfweek's Conference Challenge gives teams like
Harvard an opportunity to compete against a field similar to
regionals, meaning more experience and a chance to improve their
ranking.

Rhoads believes freshman Katie Sylvan has the potential to be
one of the best players in Ivy League history. Before committing to
Harvard, her short list of schools included Virginia, Stanford,
Northwestern and Yale. Harvard's academic prestige helps lure
players like Sylvan, but it also serves as a double-edged sword.

When Rhoads goes to a tournament like the U.S. Girls' Junior to
recruit, realistically there are only two to three players that fit
the Harvard profile. The pool is absurdly shallow.

Talking to Rhoads' well-spoken team for 30 minutes explains why.

Junior Mia Kabasakalis spent the summer working in Washington at
Senator Dianne Feinstein's office. The experience solidified her
decision to go into politics. Sheldon worked on a research project
that goes hand-in-hand with her psychology degree. Harvey spent the
summer in the woods of Fort Lewis at ROTC training camp. She hopes
to join the New York National Guard upon graduation and land a job
using her economics degree.

The Harvard women are humble, but it's quite obvious that
mediocrity is not an option - in any area of their lives.

"They're basically always studying when they're not on the
course," said Rhoads, who did take his team to the Vegas Strip
Monday night for a welcome respite.

Harvard heads into the final round at Primm Valley in ninth
place, a respectable position that likely won't satisfy. Still, any
golf tournament is better than the stark reality of what comes
next.

When Harvey returns to campus, she has an appointment with the
office of career services. Even with a coveted Harvard degree, the
economics major is painfully aware of the job market that awaits.

"There's a lot of pressure on campus to go on interviews,"
Harvey said. Just the sight of a fellow senior walking through
campus in a pressed suit can feel overwhelming.